Vacations this year were a lot different than usual. We try to take a long weekend with our daughters and their families sometime during the year, usually early summer, then a week in September for us. This year, due to scheduling done by others than ourselves, we had two week-long vacations almost back-to-back. We went to Alaska with extended family at the end of May, then to Colorado with our daughters the beginning of July.
We had a lot of fun in Colorado and did a lot of things.
We visited the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and saw the petrified giant redwoods. Yes, like the ones now in California, except petrified. This one is called the Big Stump.
We were so busy this is the only picture we took of me tatting on this trip.
If you are interested in this sort of thing I recommend you stop in and see it if you are in the area.
We took a drive one day and visited the Downtown Denver Aquarium.
The kids loved it! It is a pretty cool place to visit.
While in Denver we also visited the Butterfly Pavilion. You can go into a room with a 1000 butterflies flying around. There are some very exotic ones there.
And what is a visit to Colorado Springs without going up Pike’s Peak? We drove up instead of taking the Cog Railway. The elevation at the top is 14,114 ft.
We visited Cave of the Winds, too. They have a ride there called Terror-Dactyl. My oldest daughter and I were brave and rode it. What a thrill!
We also went fishing a couple of days, took the kids to The North Pole on the slope of Pike’s Peak and did a little shopping in Manitou Springs. We were busy every day of the week we were there.
I got very little tatting done this week. With all the places we went and four grandchildren there just wasn’t time or energy. There were a couple of evenings I had time but was so tired from the day I didn’t feel up to tatting. I did take it with me everywhere. On one of our outings my ‘spare’ thread got wet (thread I had along just in case I needed it). Good thing I didn’t need it!
The project I took with me I started while we drove out there. As it was the 4th of July weekend I thought I’d tat in patriotic colors so wound a red, white and blue Flora size 20 thread on my shuttles. I can’t tell you the name of the color because they marked the label in a bad way. I had brought white thread along to use as the ball (or ring) thread, but the white in the Flora was not the same white; it would have looked really odd if I’d used it. I wish I would have found time to find a plain thread that would have worked. I do not like how this came out at all. It’s hard to even make out the pattern! I suppose I’ll have to try again with different thread.
This was going to be a trial for a doily center for a Round Robin I joined in Craftree. I think I need to start again.
Though I wasn’t that happy with the tatting project I was very happy with the rest of the trip. Everyone had a good time and are talking about what we are going to do next year.
I’m ready!
“Are we there yet?” Hunter, age 6 (one of my grandsons)
“Have we reached our destination?” Mercutio, age 6, (the other of my grandsons)
Awesome vacations 🙂 It's been a long time, but Colorado is one of my favorite places – I would love a trip there again!
I like your doily start!! 🙂
What a lovely journey thank your for sharing your holiday
Margaret
Beautiful park and I have that red white and blue color it seems very busy, very nice work, nice pattern.
Love the Round Robin doily center pattern !!! It will really emerge & look awesome when done in other colours. Great pics 🙂